Upon starting up the game we're treated to a full-motion video intro that provides us with our story. Inky, Blinky, Clyde, and Sue are up to trouble again, but this time they go too far when they steal the Golden Fruit from Pac-Man Village, thus releasing a long-caged evil known as...Spooky. Retrieving the fruit, teaching the ghosts a lesson, and putting Spooky back in his place falls on the shoulders (if he had shoulders) of Pac-Man. Following up on the opening FMV are multiple cutscenes with back-and-forth between characters to keep the story flowing, but it really isn't worth the trouble. I mean, who plays these things for story anyway?

Maybe the graphics make a winner out of this. Or not; basically it's just a PS2 port, with no added bells or whistles to push the GameCube's limits. Heck, it's a port of PS2 game that didn't really push the PS2 to being with. If you have the time, imagine Pac-Man World 1 running in hi-res, with a small bump in poly counts for characters. That's the sequel's sights in a nutshell. As for sounds...well, let's say that things start off good and go drastically downhill after a few levels. There's just one theme for each world Pac-Man travels through, and it's rehashed and repeated enough times from level to level to make your ears bleed. Not too pretty, and not the best sound on the block, but there's hope...

So the only reason to play Pac-Man World 2 would be for the gameplay. Unfortunately, all that's here can be found in any number of cut-and-paste platforming wannabes. Pac goes from point A to point B in a full 3D movement, but a certain path is all you can run through. Meanwhile, the tradition of collecting and scavenging holds true, with coins to collect, hidden mazes to find, and fruit to grab. None of that matters much to finishing the game, but the most fun parts can only be accessed by searching mercilessly for items. It's a shame the gameplay itself isn't half as fun as the bonuses you have to work so hard to obtain, or else Pac-Man World 2 would be the best GC game this year (barring Mario Sunshine, of course).

So what hinders the fun so much? Just about everything. Early on you'll notice a camera that doesn't agree to be where you need it to be. There will be many lives lost and lots of tears shed over the bad camera angles, the lack of any real camera control despite the C-stick giving free reign over things, and the increase in difficulty over the simple fact that bad camera work makes matters harder than it is. This problem seeps into every other aspect of the game, making it playable for no longer than a few hours at a time - go any longer and you'll be prone to throwing the controller.

In essence, the concept is simple enough. Get to the finish of each level and pick up whatever you can on the way, and repeat the process 'til the end credits roll. The process on its own is somewhat dull, but any chance of fun is completely lost when the bad camera comes into play. Some levels may have been boring, others a bit fun, but the frustration over a camera you have no real control over, the one part that makes everything much worse than it should be, will be too much for many people to bear. However, those who are patient or sadistic enough (or both) will find a big payoff in playing and finding everything. The very first level contains an arcade and museum which can only be accessed with coins found in levels. Find enough coins, and be treated to classics such as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Attack, and Pac-Mania. Mazes found throughout levels can be revisted here as well, and are a 3D throwback to easier times when all Pac-Man had to stress over was eating pellets and chasing ghosts. The museum brims with nostalgia, giving tidbits of info over gaming's longest-running mascot.

So really, it all boils down to this: are you crazy enough to endure bad gameplay for the sake of playing some classic games? Are you jonesing for some Sonic Jam-esque package with Pac-Man as the focus? If so, rent it, try it, and if you're not insane with anger by a week of play, pick it up. Otherwise leave it alone - it'd be better to hunt down the original arcade cabinets instead. Less irritating to boot.

· · · Hero